MASCARA

Chapter Thirteen

Wow! You guys are incredible and I honestly don't know where to began with the thanks. Firstly, I'd like to say thank you for over 9,000 reads! That's amazing and I honestly never thought that this book would reach that! Secondly, I may update twice today and probably a few times during the weekend. Thirdly, this chapter is going to clear up something I.E : Kats Mom.
So stay tuned, read, vote, comment, enjoy!

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I walk down the hall, towards the loud giggles and constant shouts of daddy, hoping to find my boyfriend and Maya but instead I find two beautiful princesses, one a lot bigger than the other.

"Hey guys, what's up?" I ask, mostly to the man in the blue Cinderella dress.

"Just playing. Daddy is Cinderella and I'm Belle." Maya explains all while pouring her dad, I mean Cinderella, a cup of tea.

"Cool! Can I play?" I ask hopefully, definitely not expecting what was to follow.

Maya stands and looks towards her dad then back at me. A scream, an ear shattering scream, comes from within her followed by a series of "No" and "you're not my mommy." And all at once, she runs out of the room with me and her father at tow.

"Maya that wasn't very nice. Apologize!" Jay commands.

"No, that's moms game. She can't play moms game." Maya shouts at her father and me, before sitting in the corner of the floor.

He looks at me and I shake my head no. I want to talk to her myself, so instead I slide in front of her.

"Maya." I say picking up her small head from her lap.

"Maya, I'm so sorry. I'm really sorry and I don't know. I understand though. I understand only wanting your mommy to play."

"You do?" She asks moving her damp curls from in front of her face.

"Yeah. Me and my mommy had a game, it was peek-a-boo. No matter how old I got mommy would play with me. She'd cover my eyes and then say in her prettiest voice. Peekaboo. " I choke up the last part. I hadn't revisited those memories and for the first time they were back again.

"Mommy would dress up. She'd say Maya, put on your dress. We'd walk around in dresses and makeup. I was a princess and I'm not anymore." She says crying out the last part before collapsing in my lap, a string of tears following.

She cries for an hour while I rub her hair soothingly, all while repeating little nothing's in her ear. I know that feeling all too well. That feeling of being alone, only having a father, and wanting nothing but your mother.

"Daddy? Where's mommy?" I asked for what seemed like the tenth time.

"She's out getting groceries." My father replied.

I knew he was lying, I always did. It was always something. Groceries, work, night school. She never came back. She never came back for me.

It seems like Maya and I have sat on the floor for hours but it's only minutes later that I hear quiet snoring.

Realizing that she has fallen asleep, I call out for Jay to come and put her in her bed before I go to ours.

"I'm sorry, I don't know why she was acting like that." Jay says leaving the door open incase she comes in later on.

"It's not a problem, I understand. She's afraid, I can tell."

"Afraid of what?" He asks sitting on the bed.

"That one day she'll forget her. Jay, she may be young but everyone remembers their mama. It wasn't the game she's worried about. She's afraid that she's betraying her mother and that one day she'll forget. That game is her last piece of her mother and when I asked to play. I was invading her space and reminding her that her mama isn't here." I say sitting up straight.

He stands and walks around to my side of the bed before sitting in front of me.

"What happened to your mother?"

"I told you, she left when I was two."

"You're lying."

I was lying.

"Please." He says silently sitting closer to me. "Please."

At this moment, I could lie or tell the truth and while lying gave me ease, telling the truth was much needed.

"I was thirteen. My mom and I were the only two at home. All day she had been asking me to clean my room, she had a guest coming over later that night. I never cleaned it but later that night her guest, a man, showed up. He shows up and they leave. I asked my dad for months what was happening. What had happened. He would say the same thing over and over. I always thought it was my fault."

"Why'd you lie?" He asks seriously .

"Because a two year old doesn't make a person leave but an older child might." I say honestly.

"Kay, clean up your room. I'm not asking you again." My mom said while frantically cleaning the kitchen.

"Dads not coming home until Saturday, we can do it tomorrow."

"No, now Katana, now." She said her Nigerian accent booming in the small house.

I sighed and just as I was going the doorbell rang.

"Go in your room." My mother ordered, opening the front door.

I left but peeked around the corner.

A man was there and he gave my mother a hug before escorting her out the door.

I never noticed the suitcase in her hand.

"It wasn't your fault Katana. I know it may seem like it, but a dirty room doesn't make someone leave. There were deeper issues."

I nod before sighing and getting up.

"I'm gonna go check on her." I reply before going to Maya's room.

When I walk in, I sit beside her.

Her slight breathing putting my rambling heart at ease.

As I watched her sleep, I realized that I could never leave her because she was me.

She was going through everything that I had. My mom may have not died physically but she had in my mind.

My mother was dead to me.